The Flame of the Phoenix

The Flame of the Phoenix

Part 1

The day the sky turned red will forever be burned into my mind, as well as the flavor of the darkened ashes as they seeped into my mouth. The rugged ground beneath me dug into my skin. I felt the intensity in the stillness around me; savored the thickness of the air as I watched my brothers and sisters fight for the one thing our people sought most—

The flame of the phoenix.

The heart of Red Talon.

Legends say, one day, a grand being would return to the human realm. Not only return; it’ll be captured. Fire ensnared by man. The one who captures the phoenix will live for an eternity. Death will never truly meet them, as an undying fire will be lit deep within their soul.

They’ll be unstoppable. Immortal, even.

But here was the thing my people and their prophecy didn't know. The phoenix wasn’t without a mind, without a soul. She wasn’t just here for their own amusement, either, and few people recognized that. The phoenix had been with us all along, a shifter with an incredible secret she’d held closer to her than anything else.

For a long time, we’d all believed the phoenix was nothing more than a myth, a bedtime tale our parents told us before we drifted off to sleep.

The thing was...it wasn’t a myth anymore.

In fact, it never was.

I first heard of King Talador’s proposition two weeks ago. Something had gotten the upper class into an uproar. Several sightings of a bright and luminous stream of light gliding through the air, always at nightfall and never lasting more than twelve seconds before it vanished like vapor. People who claimed to have witnessed it said there was also a soft melody playing, too. Almost like magic, but that was banned within this part of the world.

They’ve named her Red Talon, just as the legend goes.

A miracle to some, but a warning to others.

The unknown could be frightening.

The King’s steward had posted the notices all around. From The Barge to Stole Street, and all across the upper and lower levels of Sarden Bay. They wanted to make certain everyone, regardless of class, understood just what type of reward Talador was offering. The blessed being who detained Red Talon would be granted a fortune greater than that of kings. Over two million shillings.

Modest enough offer, right? However, here was the interesting bit…If you were caught harboring the creature, you’d be hanged over the dark and turbulent waves just off Dead Man’s Reef.

Still, I didn’t think I’d find myself involved in the situation, really. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. I was just an alchemist who lived with her younger sister. What was there to stress over?

Looking back now, all I can see is ignorance.

That morning, just past daybreak, Emerlyn had been asleep. The two of us were complete opposites in that regard. Emerlyn loathed the early hours. I, however, found I got the most out of my day when it began early.

Still, I had known the man was a snake when he arrived at our tiny cottage. Not because of the dark look in his eyes or the spinelessness of his body, but because of the aura that whiffed off him in waves. A need for revenge that couldn’t quite be contained danced within his pupils.

“Hello,” he greeted me, his voice rough but friendly as he smiled at me. “I seem to have gotten turned around. Can you tell me where I have ended up at?”

He was a well-dressed man—though he wore a cloak two sizes too big for him—but he couldn’t be much older than me. He held a peculiar type of interest in the world just over my shoulder. I could tell he was searching for something or, perhaps, for someone. His eyes trailed across the walls of my living space, taking in the worn books on the shelf, the empty flask on the coffee table, and the iron cauldron that sat roasting over a powerful flame within the fire pit.

His eyes locked mischievously onto the stairs.

Something he’d left out of his introductions, ironically enough, was that he was a part of a local gang known as The Scarlet Vipers. The rather stark tattoo wound up his right wrist. A blood-colored serpent that disappeared beneath his sleeve. This dangerous man wasn’t just one of them; he was their leader. His elevated status evident by the obsidian ring that sat on his right index finger. The giant “R” burned into the top of his hand by the authorities was also a giveaway.

This man…boy, I have heard plenty about.

Rhys Skystorm. An incredibly crooked soul who has killed more people than I’d care to admit. His men beneath him were just as slimy, but I’d considered him the worst since he was their leader. He somehow managed to bring himself into owning a gambling hall a few blocks from my old neighborhood. That was where they made the majority of their money.

You know, the money that they didn’t pointedly steal.

This, however, was my first time meeting him face-to-face. I couldn’t lie to myself. Despite his background, he was certainly attractive in his own right. Shaggy black hair. Rough hands, but sturdy and strong. His mocha-colored eyes held secrets not even I could unearth.

He’s a criminal, I reminded myself sharply. Even giving him this long to speak with you is asking for trouble.

Determined to make him aware of his faults, I reached across the door barrier, taking a hold of his wrist and yanking it up toward his face. With the other free hand, I threw it against the threshold beside us, blocking his entry into my one true place of solace.

Our true place of solace.

“What is this?” I demanded, not bothering to keep my voice down. Emerlyn would wake up or she wouldn’t. I could handle it either way. The statement was acid on my tongue as I pushed my free hand to the shelf next to the door and thrust my favorite blade right up against his neck. “I know who you are. Rhys. You have two minutes to get out of here before I scatter your blood across the porch.”

“There, there.” His mouth twitched upward in the corner. A look of amusement played there before he covered it up for something more dark and ominous. Nice save. He’d be cute if he weren’t barging in on us. “Fine. It's my reputation getting in the way, isn't it? I only wish to speak with you on business. I was in the neighborhood, you see—”

“Neighborhood?” I scoffed, looking past him at the hundreds of trees that surrounded us like towering guardsmen. It was as if he couldn't keep himself from lying. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Which was my intention, by the way. So we wouldn’t have to deal with people. Try again.”

“You’ve got me, then.” He shrugged, finally eyeing me directly now. He went to hold the other hand up, a sign of peace as he took a furtive step back. “I have an offer for you. I...am well aware of your prowess when it comes to the blade, my darling Aurora, so there’s no need for violence. I am not here to hurt you or your sister."

“You’re wasting your time,” I told him sternly, but I refused to move the knife. It was my only way of keeping him where I wanted him. “Go crash someone else’s morning.”

“H-hear me out?” He stuttered nervously. Strange, considering who he was. “I’m here to help you.”

Before I could respond with anything more than a cold laugh, a loud, recognizable crash erupted from the kitchen beside us. I remembered setting a pot of coffee out on the cabinet. The cat ran out the door beneath my feet with his golden fur soiled in the beverage.

I faltered, and that was my next mistake.

Within seconds, there was a flash in the man’s eyes. Rhys yanked the dagger from me with all too easy precision. I tried to push away from him, but it was in vain. He shoved me up against the wall, digging his fingers into my hair as he forced me to stay where I was.

His breath was warm against my ears as he spoke.

“Easy,” he said in a hushed whisper. The laugh I could hear on his lips bothered me. It felt more like a challenge than anything else. “There’s nothing for you to be afraid of from our end, but I’m going to need you to keep quiet.”

Requiring little thought at all on the matter, I shoved my heel backward into the air. In particular, I was searching for a groin. One could consider myself successful because I felt his hold on me tighten momentarily as he stiffened from the pain and gave a curse.

In retaliation, someone stepped out from behind the corner of the house and into the doorway. The hard tip of a gun was placed against my head. The snake twisted up their small, slender arm. I couldn’t see more than that, as my head was still way too close to the wall.

“Don’t,” Rhys commanded. His voice was a low grumble, his order clear.

As the gun lifted off of me, he let his hand move down toward the back of my neck. He gave me a hard squeeze. Perhaps it was to remind me where I stood and to refrain from trying any more tricks.

No longer being forced to stare in one direction, I looked over toward the door, seeing three others with him; two males and a female. The lady held the pistol. While it was definitely not pressed against my head anymore, it was still pointed in my direction. This was a feeling I didn’t much care for.

His next words were spoken directly to me.

“A lesson for you, Love?” I tried to ignore the irritating term of endearment he used as he waved the dagger in front of me. He let me up from the wall as the woman took me by the forearm with a hard grip. “When you hold a weapon against someone, be prepared to use it. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself right at the mercy of your enemy.”

I didn’t have to look at his smug face to know he was enjoying every bit of this, but it cemented the fact. He slid the blade into his coat pocket as his back stiffened.

“Take her to the couch,” Rhys told his little helper.

Well, I shouldn’t call her little. She was definitely more solid than I was, her muscles showing through her tight-knitted T-shirt and jeans. The military boots also added a bit of bang in that department.

Though I wished my body would do otherwise, I found myself making my way to the couch as Rhys had ordered. He seemed to appreciate that I didn’t argue, giving a hard nod to his partners as they snooped through our stuff.

I sat on the couch, leaning against the arm. I wanted to cry and beg them to let us go, to tell them they could have whatever they wanted. But I didn’t, because to do so would be fruitless. They wanted something much more than possessions.

They wanted blood.

Think hard, the inner voice spat. These guys obviously had ill intentions, and if I couldn’t save myself, then I could at least make sure my sister had every bit of a fighting chance to get away from them. I watched as the other two men approached the stairs, Rhys made his way behind them.

My chance was gone, but Emerlyn’s was still alive.

“Emerlyn!” I screamed. I had never yelled so loud. The woman next to me tried to shut me up, scrambling to find something to cover my mouth with, but I ignored her and simply screamed louder. “Get out of here!”

Rhys made swift work to haul over to us.

“Stop that now!” He scowled, his harsh voice hit me like a whip as he slapped both of his hands across my mouth. I felt the coldness of his ring against my lips. His next words were said in a hiss.

His gaze darkened. Lightning sparked in his eyes.

“You are going to get us all killed. You don’t even know if that’s your sister in there," Rhys exclaimed with an irritated shake of his head. "You ever hear of imposters? It’ll be a true gift from the gods if she’s not already been taken from you.”

I tried to yank away from him, even attempted to bite into his hand to get it off of my mouth, but it barely impacted him. Instead, he merely gave a smirk. A sinfully attractive, incredibly irritating smirk.

He bent down on one knee, making certain I would be listening to his proposition as his eyes locked onto mine.

“You've got two choices, Darling." he said now with a soft exhale. "You can be a good captive while we do our work, or I can tie you up, gag you with whatever I may or may not find in your bedroom, and then we’ll still get our job done. Which would you prefer? The choice is yours, though as good of a man as I am, my vote is on the latter.”

“You’re an ass,” I spat as soon as he removed his hand.

“And you’re a delight, yourself.” Rhys rolled his eyes, so high I thought they might actually pop out of his head. He gave a grimace before pointing a stern finger toward the woman beside us. “Don’t let her out of your sight, or this entire plan is dead. We need both of them.”

Giving me one more weary glance, Rhys pulled out his own gun and walked toward the stairs. He gave a nod, directing the other two men to go on up. None of them appeared to have any sort of conscience for what they were currently doing to us or our home.

“Hey!” I demanded, working to pull out of the woman’s grip. The gun also held an extra level of precaution. “If you hurt her, I’ll make sure you’re sorry!”

“He won’t.” The lady’s words surprised me. Her tone was actually reassuring, despite the fact she still held the weapon on me. “Just give him a minute, yeah? He does this. He’ll explain soon enough.”

“Or you could beat him to it,” I mouthed, narrowing my eyes. “What the hell is going on?”

The woman seemed to think about it, though she shook her head. She gave me a sad smile.

“Tell me about yourself, Aurora,” the woman began. While her words had clearly been meant to take my mind off of things, at the moment they really did nothing as she sat down beside me. “I’m Myra. How long have you lived out here?”

“You broke into our home to do an interview?”

At first, Myra looked like she was going to give a retort, though she finally shrugged her shoulders. I could tell she wasn’t going to push me on the subject.

“We’re here to help,” she sighed. As she spoke those words, she lowered the gun a few notches. “Honest to gods.”

Her eyes searched my face. It seemed as if they were begging me to understand. In another world, I may have actually trusted her. Befriended her. But not here.

Not now.

Although I stayed quiet as I was told, all I could hear were the footsteps as they made their way from room to room. Mine, Emerlyn’s bedroom, and then the bathroom. They were making swift work of each one.

Why was nothing being said? Everyone was staying silent.

The words Rhys had spoken to me before ran through my mind again. Someone could have taken her? What did they mean? I had just seen Emerlyn last night before I went to bed.

She had stayed up. She was a night owl, but I couldn’t imagine her leaving and not telling me. I surely couldn’t imagine someone breaking in beforehand and grabbing her without my taking notice.

Unlike my sister, I was a light sleeper.

My panic was quick to escalate. It was unmatched. I needed to hear something. Anything. The longer it took for them to check the house, the greater my fear became.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just sit there.

Without waiting any longer, and certainly catching Myra off guard, I threw myself up from where I sat. I then slammed one elbow into Myra’s stomach, and then the other. I hated to hurt her, but I couldn’t let her keep me from getting to my sister.

I already knew she wouldn’t shoot me. Her gun was pointless. I heard her call out for Rhys, but the rest of the world turned into one big blur of nothingness as I hustled up the staircase.

One of Rhys’ men lunged for me just as I threw myself into the hall, but I was prepared. I headbutted him right in the chest and used the rest of my weight to throw him backward. I paid no mind as he lost his footing and stumbled down the stairs.

Good, I thought. At least I don’t have to worry about clumsy feet over there.

The second guy was in my bedroom, searching for something, but that didn’t matter to me. He could drive himself mad in there. I didn’t care. I bee-lined it straight for Emerlyn’s bedroom.

She had to be in there.

She had to be.

As I made it to the door, Rhys caught me by surprise. He grabbed me by the shoulders, twisting me around so I was facing only him. I paid little mind as the other three walked up to stand beside us. Worry and fear enveloped each of them.

For the first time that day, I heard a sincere apology escape their leader’s lips. I could do nothing but ignore it because something new had caught my attention. I choked back a sob as I realized I could smell the undeniable scent of blood in the air.

“Look at me, Aurora,” he said. I could see the frustration in his eyes, but something else, too. He wiped his thumb against my cheek to catch a tear that had fallen. “You don’t want to go in there. Go back downstairs.”

“Let go of me,” I demanded, my voice betraying me with a cold whisper, but my eyes never wavered from his.

With a sigh, Rhys obliged, stepping back. The others did the same. I padded into Emerlyn’s bedroom. I was met by something I’d never imagined.

Blood, ashes, and a single feather the color of flame.